A Girl Named William
by Orangedcgirl
Summary: After Ed and Al save a strange girl from being hanged, she decides to go back with them to Central HQ to wreak havoc on the poor, unsuspecting military officers. [EdxOC]
1. A Strange Little Town

A/N: WHOO! My first multi-chaptered story, OH YEAH! -throws a party- And I really do like this story. I think it's cool. Most of it just follows the anime, but a whole bunch of chapters are gonna be mine. Because what kind of story would it be if I just followed the anime the entire time? Nothing I'd want to read, let me tell you. So here it is, the first chapter of "A Girl Named William"!

And I apologize for this chapter being so short. The first few are going to be much the same, because I found good cliffhanger places to end them. I've never been good at cliffies, so when I found that I could actually do one, I was all, "OMG COOL!" And stopped it right there. So yeah, the shortness. Bear with me.

Once again, MANY MUCH MOOSEN thanks to my bestest friend and beta, Mal! Who will now be co-starring in the freak conversations that are taking the place of the disclaimer in this story. Fear her.

Mal: Say it.

Orange: No.

Mal: _Say it_. -prods with a leafy twig-

Orange: NO!

Mal: Say it, dammit! Or they'll sue your ass!

Orange: Fine, fine. -sigh- I'm your biatch.

Mal: Not THAT, dumbass! -smacks forehead- The freaking disclaimer!

Orange: Oh, that. (pause) Do I have to?

Mal: Goddammit, YES!

Orange: -sigh- I don't own FullMetal Alchemist.

Mal: See? Now was that so hard?

Orange: -quivers in a corner- YES! -sob-

Mal: But she does own Will. Even though you don't really meet her yet in this chapter…

Orange: Yay for girls with boy names!

Mal: Will is a retarded name for a girl…

Orange: WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Mal: -eep- Nothing! (loser…)

Orange: THAT'S IT! C'MERE, YOU! -tackles Mal-

Will: Oo Oookaaay… Uh… Well, since those two freaks are momentarily incapacitated-

Orange: STOP MOVING SO I CAN HIT YOU, DAMMIT!

Mal: AAIIIIEEEEE!

Will: Ahem, as I was saying… -sidesteps to avoid being skewered by a spork- Erm… -ducks a random potato projectile- Aw, hell. Just get on with the damn fanfic already, before these two morons kill each other.

Orange: MAY THE SPORKS BE WITH YOU! AAARGH! -is smacked with a sponge-

* * *

"Wow… Where _is_ everybody?" 

Edward and Alphonse Elric strolled down the empty city streets, looking around for any signs of life. The streets were bare, houses and stores empty.

"Where could they all be?" Ed wondered aloud. Al shrugged as best he could, what with his being a soul inside a giant suit of armor and all, feeling just as puzzled as his brother. They'd come to the small city in search of somewhere to stay the night, after their quest for the Philosopher's Stone had left them at a dead end.

"Maybe they're all asleep, or something…"

"In the middle of the day?" Ed gave his sibling a disbelieving look. "I don't think so… There must be something going on here."

"Hey," Al said, pointing off the main road toward a small side street in between a group of houses, "I think I hear voices coming from over there."

"Hmm. Guess we should go see what's going on." They headed off onto the small pathway, following the faint voices and shouts that grew in number as they got closer to the town square. The clumps of houses got smaller, and the screams started getting louder and louder. Finally, they broke through the rim of houses and emerged into the heart of the city.

"Whoa…"

The entire city center was packed with people, seemingly the entire population, all shouting and yelling roughly. Ed stood on his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the crowd. He spotted a cart lying to the side, and happily climbed on top, finally able to see what all the commotion was about. Everyone seemed focused on a small platform situated in the center of the circle. The platform had a long wooden post in the center, with a rope attached to the end of it, tied in a loop… _What?_ Ed suddenly realized what was going on in this strange little town.

"It's… a hanging!" Ed's jaw dropped. They were actually going to _hang_ someone? He thought people had stopped being hung years ago. And they had still only been used for hardcore thieves or murderers. Surely no one could deserve this punishment. Even murderers were now taken care of by the military; they didn't allow public executions anymore… Ed wondered just what kind of town they had wandered into.

"I wonder what the poor person did to deserve being hung," Al wondered sadly.

Ed shook his head. "Whatever they did, no one deserves to be killed like that."

There was a sudden palpable increase in tension and excitement in the crowd, and Ed looked up, intrigued. A wooden cart was being pulled through the raging crowd, with a lone figure standing on top. His face was turned away, so Ed couldn't see, but he looked pretty young, a teenager. What could possibly possess these crazy people in order to drive them to hang a young kid? Ed was outraged.

"AL! We have to do something about this. That guy's only around my age, we have to stop them from killing him!" Ed screamed at his younger brother over the shouts of the crowd. Al just stared at the boy on the cart who had turned to face the audience.

"Big brother… That's not a guy."

"Huh?" Ed turned toward the platform, and promptly fell off the cart in surprise.

A young girl, no older than Ed, was being pushed off of the cart and closer to the noose. A long case, seemingly holding a sword, was tossed onto the stand next to the man who was in charge of pulling the rope. Ed heard something vague about "Be careful with that, you idiot! That was handmade in-" before she was roughly pushed to the center. She stood on the platform with her hands tied behind her back, struggling wildly and being held in place by two large men while another tried to slip the noose over her head. As she kicked and writhed in their grasp, she screamed and cursed at the crowd as loud as she could.

"DAMN YOU ALL! I TOLD YOU, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, DAMMIT, I WASN'T EVEN-" She was silenced by one of the men managing to slip a gag over her mouth, but not before she bit a few of his fingers. Her eyes glared daggers, shining violet and dangerous in the midday sun, pulling against the noose that was snug around her neck.

After recovering from his cart-falling accident, Ed started trying to push his way through the crowd, ramming people left and right. The right seemed more effective, he found, because auto-mail slamming into one's side sure is a convincing way to say "MOVE IT!" He didn't get very far, though. The audience was quite thick, and people were adamant on staying in their places. Even Al couldn't get much farther than his brother; the people didn't seem as intimidated by his giant-armor-ness as most were.

The hangman raised his arm to the cheering audience, and rested his other hand on the lever that would open up the trap door underneath the convicted girl. As she saw the hand wrap around the lever, her violet eyes widened, as if realizing that this was actually happening. Ed saw her take a deep breath as the lever was tugged, and she plunged downwards, the noose pulling tight around her windpipe.

"NO!" Ed yelled, violently thrashing around in the crowd, trying in vain to reach the girl before she suffocated. Amazingly, her neck hadn't been broken when the rope caught, so she was now hanging there helplessly, unable to breathe. The rope was longer than usual, so her feet just barely grazed the ground, and she suddenly stopped wiggling, eyes once again widening, but this time there was something else shining in them. She slowly swung herself back and forth, dragging her feet on the dusty ground. Ed watched, helpless, as she turned a light shade of blue, still swinging herself around and around.

"Al! What's she doing? Can you see?" Ed jumped up and down, but was still unable to see over the heads of the crowd.

Al leaned forward, careful not to accidentally squish anyone. "Uh… she's… making a transmutation circle?" His voice was filled with surprise.

"WHAT? How can she do that? She's hanging from a rope by her neck, dammit! She can't possibly believe she can actually-"

He was interrupted by a blinding, electric blue light that shone from the ground below the suffocating girl. When it died down, the crowd erupted into gasps.

"What? What happened? Did it work? What's going on?" Ed tried, once again, to see what was happening below the platform, this time by climbing up on Al's back. Unfortunately, due to his… ahem, small stature, he slipped off and landed on his butt on the ground.

Al didn't answer right away, but stood staring in the direction of the platform. After a moment, he finally spoke, voice laden with surprise and awe.

"Nii-san… She's _gone_!"

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there ya have it! The first chapter! The second should be uploaded shortly, but REVIEWS are always welcome! Just press the little button down there and tell me what you thought. Didja like it, hate it, think it's stupid, too short, grammatically incorrect, whatever! Even just a "This chapterwas funny! I liked it a lot!" will make me sing with joy. Okay, so maybe I won't really sing. But I'll be happy. Even though this chapter wasn't really funny yet... It's more of the "general" part playing here. But the funny stuff is coming. Oh yeah, Will is like a humor bomb waiting to be set off... Oo Okay, that was a really stupid metaphor. Just ignore me. >


	2. The Disappearing Alchemist

Orange: AARGH! This damned chapter gave me so much freaking trouble! I mean, first of all, I couldn't get more than five minutes at a time to type because I had SO much stupid stuff going on, and then my frickin' muses went on strike, so I was totally out of ideas for EVERYTHING and this chapter really sucks! Damn damn DAMN! -jerks PS2 controller and purposely jumps into a puddle of dark eco over and over again- That's right, DIE, you freaky, green-haired, pointy-eared… freak! And your little orange ferret too!

Mal: Just because you're angry doesn't mean you have to take it out on poor Jak. Leave him alone.

Orange: -sigh- You're right. He's not a freak. He's pretty awesome, especially in the second game. -grins-

Mal: That's right. Now say the disclaimer.

Orange: Aww, not _again_! But I said it last time!

Mal: Well you have to say it this time too, unless you want a lawsuit on your ass.

Orange: No, I like my ass the way it is, thank you very much. But I still don't want to say it.

Mal: Why won't you say it? It's not like you'll die or something. Other than me killing you for being so damn difficult…

Orange: …I just don't want to, that's all. Stop pestering me, you… you… meanie-butt! -sticks out tongue and runs away-

Mal: Why you-! COME BACK HERE, I'LL CHOP YOUR DAMN TONGUE RIGHT OFF! -chases after with a pair of scissors- AARGH!

Edward: Oo" Oookaaay then… Uh, since they're currently… um… _occupied_ at the moment-

Orange: -wiggles butt- You can't caaatch meee! Nyah nyah nyah nyah! Ahahahaha! -takes off running again-

Mal: GET OVER HERE, BEFORE I SET BLACK HAYATE ON YOU! -runs with scissors-

Black Hayate: Arf?

Orange: Didn't your mom ever tell you to not run with scissors?

Edward: Uh… yeah… Let's just get this over with so I can get out of this loony bin, shall we? Orange doesn't own FullMetal Alchemist. There. Can I go now?

Orange: NO! SAVE MEEE! -smacks into a pole- Owwie…

Edward: I'll take that as a yes. Later, freakazoids! -leaves-

Mal: MUAHAHAHAHA! I have you now! Prepare to taste the blades of my scissors! -trips-AAAH, THE SCISSORS WENT THROUGH MY ARM! Oh, wait, just my shirt… Whew, that was a close one. ;;

Orange: I told you not to run with those things. Someone could get hurt. Namely, you.

Mal: Whatever. Let's just get on with the fic, shall we? This damn author's note has gone on long enough.

Orange: Authoress's note. And yeah, you're right. ON WITH DA FICCY! -nuzzles Black Hayate- Hee hee, puppy so soft…

* * *

"_WHAT_?" Ed bellowed, eyes wide with disbelief. "How the hell can she just _disappear_? That's not possible! Even with alchemy!"

Al just shook his head. "I don't know. She's gone, though. The noose is still hanging there, but the girl isn't."

Ed looked around, baffled. Everyone was starting to get nervous, and he heard snatches of "alchemy witchcraft" and "demon girl". Ed slowly backed up, away from the jumpy crowd that looked like they could explode with the slightest wrong move. While the panicky audience was busy freaking out and trying to explain the girl's sudden disappearance, nobody noticed the small, cloaked figure slipping through to approach the platform. It quickly and carefully slid the sheathed sword under the cloak, then quietly stole away again, still unnoticed. That is, until it unwittingly ran into the back of Al's armor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry-" Al turned around to apologize, but stopped short when he realized who had bumped into him. The impact had sent the person flying to the ground, the hood falling back and exposing shoulder-length black hair and vivid violet eyes.

Ed had turned around when he'd heard the loud _clang!_ of someone hitting his brother's armor, and his eyes widened in shock. "HEY, YOU-"

The girl quickly leaped to her feet and covered Ed's mouth, trying to get him to shut up so he didn't alert the crowd to her presence. Ed looked indignant at someone actually shushing him, and he tore her hand away. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Just who the hell are you, and how did you manage to disappear like that?"

A few people turned around at Ed's outburst, and they stared in shock at the cloaked figure standing next to him. The girl's eyes widened as she realized she'd been discovered.

"Oh, shit!"

She took off down the street, running as fast as the heavy cloak and clunky sword would allow her. Ed and Al followed after her, Ed still screaming questions and curses at her shrouded back. It took a while for the crowd to entirely grasp what was going on, but when they understood, a few of them started running after the three also.

Once in the town itself, Ed found it to be a veritable maze of alleys and side streets. He paused beside his brother at an intersection of four streets, having managed to lose the girl after tripping over some boxes and landing on his face in the dirt. He sighed and hung his head, but perked up when he heard a faint noise that sounded like a curse coming from an alley close by.

"God dammit, freaking stupid cloak getting stuck on my freaking stupid buckle…"

Curious, Ed tracked the voice to a dead-end alley a few yards away. He turned the corner to see the mysterious disappearing girl struggling with the cloak that had somehow snagged itself onto her belt. She grabbed the sword that sat leaning against the wall of the alley, and angrily stabbed at the cloak until it slipped free of the buckle. She breathed a sigh of relief and slumped against the wall, cloak lying in sad ribbons at her feet.

"Hey, you. You alright?" Ed tentatively said, unsure if the girl would freak out and disappear again, or just try to cut their heads off. He didn't feel like dealing with either one of those choices.

At Ed's voice, the girl's head jerked up, and she looked at him with wide eyes. In a flash of movement that was faster than Ed could follow, the sword was suddenly in her hand and pointing directly at Ed's throat. Well, at least she didn't freak out…

"What the hell do you want with me." She said it as a statement rather than a question, her strange colored eyes staring calmly into Ed's own.

Ed looked down, cross-eyed, at the sword that was threatening to slice his neck. He gulped. One wrong move, and he'd be dead. Even without alchemy, she could kill him faster than he'd be able to react.

"N-nothing," Al interjected, looking fearfully at the blade at his brother's throat. "We just want to help you escape."

The girl glanced at Al, then looked back at Ed. She stared hard into his eyes, as if searching for any sign that they were lying to her. Finally, after a long moment, she decided they were telling the truth and backed away, dropping the sword unceremoniously on the ground and leaning against the wall.

"Let me guess… You also want to know how I managed to disappear like that, am I right?" She hung her head, black hair obscuring her face. Ed nodded, and the girl lifted her head, smiling. "Hmm."

There was a moment of silence, the girl simply leaning against the concrete wall of the alley, and Ed chose this moment to observe her. She was about his height, maybe an inch shorter, around fifteen years of age. Wearing a tank top underneath a strange baggy overshirt that was cut off above her stomach, with the right sleeve attached, the left just a strap on her shoulder, and brown cargo pants. Black gloves, black hair, black boots. She finally looked up, once again staring into Ed's eyes as if reading his thoughts. She had strange violet eyes that seemed to shimmer and change to midnight blue when they caught in the light filtering through the shabby roofs lining the alleyway. She stepped forward, seemed to stagger a bit before regaining her footing, and stuck out a hand.

"William Beck. Call me Will."

"Edward Elric. Call me Ed. This is my little brother, Alphonse, or Al." Ed shook the proffered hand and gestured towards the suit of armor. Will raised an eyebrow and stepped forward so she was directly in front of Al. She looked upwards, Al's head being quite a few feet above her.

"Little brother? He sure is tall for being younger than you are." She rapped on the metal of Al's chestplate. "Hollow, eh? Ah, I get it. You transmuted his soul into the armor. Pretty good job for a guy with an automail arm." She directed this statement over at Ed, who gaped open-mouthed at her.

"How… What… Who…?" He babbled, unable to finish a sentence because of his surprise.

"How did I know?" Will smirked. "Dunno. I just did. I have a knack for knowing things I shouldn't." She grinned widely, then suddenly grimaced as loud noises made their way across the streets to her ears. "Damn, they're coming. We'd better get outta here, unless you want to be hanged for assisting a convicted criminal." She grabbed the sword and slung it around her back, leaving the shredded cloak where it was. "Follow me."

She headed out of the alley and led the two brothers following her into, through, and around countless others, stopping every now and then to see if they'd lost the crowd. After about ten minutes, the voices had faded and there was absolute silence around them.

"Good, I think we lost them," Will muttered, peeking around a corner. "Now, we can head back to home base and hopefully a safe haven from these freaks." She smiled back at Ed, but he noticed her hand shaking lightly, and she seemed tired out. "C'mon."

They threaded their way through a few more streets, before emerging onto the large main road. As they were crossing it, a few people came out of an alley directly in front of them. They stared for a moment, then yelled something back the way they'd come. One of them walked forward a few feet, holding a large wooden rod out in front of him threateningly. Will stared at them for a moment, then her eyes darted around the rest of the street, as if calculating.

"This way, and hurry!" She gestured towards a small alley right next to the one the other people had come out of, and darted into it. Al and Ed followed close behind her, not wanting to get lost in the labyrinth of streets and passageways. More people were following them now, and were running down the alley in pursuit.

After turning the corner, Ed stopped in surprise. "A dead end?" Just great. Now what? They'd be caught by the rabid townspeople, poked with large sticks, and then hung or otherwise tortured or killed. Unless…

"Steps. Transmute some steps. Over the wall, here. Hurry!" Will slapped the wall, staring with wide eyes at Ed. Not waiting a second more (he'd really rather not be poked and/or hung, thank you very much), he clapped his hands together and pressed them to the concrete, quickly transmuting a staircase into the wall. After they'd all climbed up, he clapped his hands again and got rid of the steps so no one could follow them.

Will breathed a sigh of relief, then took off again, this time hopping on the roofs and tops of the walls. Ed and Al followed after, trying their best to keep their balance and not trip or fall off. Al was having quite a time with staying on the roof, because his armor wasn't exactly as maneuverable as Will was. Finally, after almost tripping and falling to their deaths about fifteen hundred times, they got to a huge, menacing, granite wall. It rose about fifty feet above their heads, and Ed stared up at it in wonder, shielding his eyes from the glare of the desert sun.

"This is the outer protective wall that encircles the entire city," Will said, gliding a hand over the smooth stone surface. "We make it over this, and we're safe. Home base is just on the other side." She turned to Ed and stared at him expectantly. "Do it again."

Ed looked at her, puzzled. "Do what?"

"Transmute it, or something. I dunno, just do it fast so we can get through before we're discovered."

Ed frowned. "Why can't you do it? You can disappear, I'm guessing you're good at regular alchemy too."

Will looked down, scuffing the toe of her boot on the roof they were standing on. "I can't right now."

"And why not?"

"I'm too tired."

Ed glared at her. "Too tired? What an excuse. You just don't want to do it, is that right?"

Will glared right back, managing to look just as intimidating as Ed did. "Disappearing takes a lot of energy, dumbass. And after all that running we did, I'm almost completely drained. I'm amazed I've made it this far without collapsing." She crossed her arms over her chest, staring expectantly at Ed. "So just transmute the damn thing before I push you off this roof."

Ed was about to reply with a snide comment, but Al interrupted him. "I'll just do it, or we'll never get out of here." He looked pointedly at Ed, then proceeded to draw a transmutation circle on the wall and transmute a hole through it. Will thanked him, then jumped through, landing softly in the sand on the other side. Ed landed next to her a moment later, followed closely by Al. After Al had transmuted the wall to its original state, Ed stood up and surveyed the spot they had landed in.

Sand, sand, and more sand. It was a desert, after all. What exactly did Will expect to find out here? There was nothing at all that even resembled a house or 'home base', as she had called it.

Ed was surprised when Will stood up, dusted herself off, and began tramping through the sand in some random direction.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Will stopped and looked back. "I already told you. Home base. Come on."

"But…" Ed looked around questioningly. "…There's nothing out here."

"We keep it well hidden, away from prying eyes." She winked, and continued walking. Not wanting to be left behind, Ed and Al quickly trudged after her.

About fifteen minutes later, just when Ed was about to throw a fit for being dragged all the way out into the desert when there was obviously nothing of interest there, a dark object loomed its way into view. Another five minutes of walking took them straight up to it.

It was a gigantic rock jutting out of the sand, about as large as a house, dirty brown and dusty. There was a small opening in the side, covered by a threadbare blanket that matched the rock perfectly. Will stopped in front of the opening, throwing her arms wide and smiling as bright as the sun.

"Welcome to our humble abode," she announced, then stepped forward and ducked underneath the door flap.

Ed went next, curious as to what a cave cut into the side of a rock would look like on the inside. He only got a brief look at dirt-stone floors and a hammock hanging on the wall, however, because once he was inside, what looked like a large saucepan came swooping down, hitting him square in the forehead.

He collapsed to the ground, unconscious, and a boy standing just inside the door bent over him, gripping the pan guiltily.

"Oopsie."

* * *

Whoo! Actually, I changed my mind. I kind of like this chapter. Especially the end. xD

And I apologize for the insanely long authoress's notes. Just let me say that there are going to be like a zillion more. So thanks a ton for putting up with them. -

And don't forget to REVIEW! Reviews are fun. They make me happy. And if I'm happy, I get ideas. And if I get ideas, I can write the next chapter. You want a next chapter, right?

Oh, and just in case you're sadistic or something and don't want me to be happy, how about a bribe? All reviewers get… cookies? No, that's been done too many times… How about… CYBERCHOCOLATE! Yeah, 'cause everybody loves chocolate! So reviewers get cyberchocolate. Bet you're all just running to that review button now, huh?


	3. Unconsciousness

This chapter is weird. I'm not sure if I like it or not. It was kind of hard to write. You learn a little about Will, though. Hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer:** It's like 2:30 in the morning, and I'm falling asleep at the computer. I'm just gonna come out and say it so I can go to bed and post this in the morning, kay? I-

Okay. So I can't say it. Here, I'll grab someone to do it for me. Oh Rooooyyyy…

Roy: What do _you_ want?

Orange: Say the disclaimer. Now. I'm too tired to argue with you.

Roy: Sure. Orange doesn't own FullMetal Alchemist.

Orange: Or Pixie Stix. Though I do have a few in my pocket, here…

Roy: OOH! -grabs pixie stix- MINE!

Orange: HEY! Get back here, you sugar thief! -dashes after him-

Mal: So much for getting to bed before five. -sigh- I'd better go make sure she doesn't hurt someone… Later, taters. This'll update tomorrow, most likely. Enjoy.

* * *

"A _frying pan_, Nat?" Will picked up the offending piece of cookware. "Come on, we have to _cook_ with that! Man…" She sighed and shoved the pan toward the boy. "Go clean it." 

Nat frowned. "You're not the boss of me, you-" He was cut off by Will's violet glare, and he stuttered. "Uhh, yessir! I mean ma'am! I mean- Aw hell, just gimme that thing." He grabbed the pan and trotted off, pouting.

Will turned around, seeing that Al had followed her in, and was now bending anxiously over his brother, who was sprawled out on the floor, knocked out. Al looked up at the girl he had followed, who was now examining a hole in the wall where a large chunk of stone was missing. "What happened to him?"

"He just got whacked with a pan, no big deal. He'll wake up in a few hours or so," she sighed and lowered her hand, then leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy. "Just… toss him over there, somewhere." She waved a hand towards a cot in the corner. "You're blocking the door." If Al was able to frown, he would have. But he picked up his unconscious brother all the same, and gently set him down on the cot a little ways in the room.

Nat came back in the room, holding the now-clean pan that was still slightly wet. He tossed it carelessly into a corner where it sat sadly, neglected, and saw Will leaning on her knees, breathless. Nat sighed. "You pulled your little 'disappearing act' again, didn't you?" He walked over to the girl, who nodded slightly. "And then you ran like hell. Didn't I tell you to knock that off?" He slung her arm over his shoulder, and wrapped a hand around her waist. "You know it wears you out. Gods, if you keep doing this, you're gonna end up having a heart attack by the time you're twenty…"

He helped her limp over to a hammock where she sat down, leaning her head back against the wall, eyes closed. "Well, I didn't see you trying to save me from suffocating to death," she muttered tiredly.

Nat sat down cross-legged next to the hammock. "Meh, I had stuff to do."

Will opened one eye. "Something more important than attending my _execution_!"

Nat grinned. "Remember you asked me to tidy up the home base? Well, I figured that since I had nothing to do when you were captured, I just-"

He was interrupted by Will slapping the back of his head. "I asked you to do that a month ago, dumbass. And it's still not clean!" She gestured to the piles of clothes and random pieces of junk lying around the room. It looked kind of like Winry's workshop, Al thought.

"Well, I got sidetracked…" Nat huffed. "The old guy at the corner store had a sale on Pixie Stix…"

Will suddenly groaned and slumped forward, and Nat had to scramble to hold her up so she didn't fall off the hammock. Alphonse, who had been sitting next to the unconscious Ed the entire time, had been watching interestedly as the two argued back and forth. He got a little worried as Will struggled to stay sitting upright. "Uh, Miss… Will? A-are you all right?"

Will weakly waved a hand, momentarily unable to speak. Nat shifted so Will was leaning on his shoulder, but she could face Al without falling over. "Told you. Takes energy. I'm all out."

Al nodded. "But… How were you able to disappear in the first place? Even with alchemy, that should be impossible. My brother's a state alchemist, and-"

Nat interrupted him. "Wait, wait, wait. HE is WHAT now?" Nat pointed to Ed, with obvious disbelief in his voice. "_That_ little guy? Okay, you guys had better-"

He was stopped short by Will waving a hand in front of his face. She gasped, then spoke hoarsely. "Nahh, they're cool. Leave 'em alone."

Al looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Nat threw him a slightly mistrusting glance before explaining. "State alchemists aren't really… welcomed, in these parts. Something about being a dog of the military turns people off."

There was a short silence as Will fought to get her breath back. Nat looked over at her, smirking. "You're lucky Kio isn't here to see you. You know he hates it when you do this."

Will gave a small laugh, eyes still closed. "Yeah, he'd probably flip out again, like he did when you hung his boxers from that flagpole in town."

Nat, who had begun to relax against the wall, sat up and glared at his friend. "_You_ did that, ya dumbass. You just blamed me for it! I got ditch duty that entire month, thanks to you…" He trailed off, mumbling angrily. Will merely smiled, then turned her head to look at Al.

"So, what brings you and state alchemist boy here to our boring little town?"

"We're… looking for something." Al looked down at Ed lying on the cot.

Will stared at him through unfocused, half-lidded eyes. "Did you find it?"

"…Not yet."

"Well, then you'd better keep looking, huh?" She gave a small smile.

Al cleared his throat, and Will blinked. "Will, how exactly did you manage to… do what you did?" Al asked. "My brother and I have done countless hours of research on alchemy and transmutation circles, but we've never come across any evidence that says it's possible for someone to just vanish like that."

Will seemed to take a moment to think about it before answering. "Alchemy." When Al looked like he was going to argue that point, she added, "…and my own personal brand of magic." She grinned when Al seemed confused. "That's all I care to explain." And with that, she closed her strange violet eyes, and promptly nodded off.

Nat felt Will seemingly grow heavier on his shoulder, and he looked over to see that she'd fallen asleep. He gently laid her down in her hammock, then sat on a cot opposite the Elric brothers.

"I feel like I owe an explanation," Nat offered. "Since Will's not really in a state to explain herself fully." He glanced back at the slumbering girl, took a deep breath, then started. "What she was saying before… about magic… it's true." He frowned slightly before continuing. "She's never really explained it before, but I think it has something to do with her dad having been a state alchemist-"

Al interrupted, surprised. "Her father was a state alchemist?"

"One of the best. They say he could vanish into thin air with a clap of his hands. I think that's where Will inherits it from…"

"What happened to him?"

Nat smiled sadly. "He was killed, fighting in the war in Ishbal. Shortly after, her mom died in a fire that completely destroyed their house. Will managed to get out, though barely. She badly burned her arm. That's why she wears that sleeve. The only reason she survived was because her older brother is a state alchemist, too, and he saved her. Or so she says. I personally have never seen nor heard of him before she told me." He looked down and fidgeted with his hands. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her I told you, though. She doesn't really like people knowing."

"It's okay," Al said. "Her secret's safe with us."

Nat nodded, then sighed and stood up. "Well, I got a job to do. You can sit here 'till your brother or Will wakes up." He walked over to the door that lead outside, pausing in the doorway. "Oh, and Kio is due back in a while. Don't let him intimidate you, okay? He's really just a big softie." Nat winked and disappeared under the door flap.

Al sighed and made himself as comfortable as he could on the step. Not that he could feel anything anyways, but he'd like to think he did. He glanced over at Ed, who was lying on his back on the cot, arm hanging over the edge, mouth slightly open. Al settled himself by the cot, leaning against the wall, preparing himself for a rather long wait until Ed regained consciousness.

An hour passed, and Al shifted on the step. Suddenly, Will murmured something quite loudly in her sleep. This was followed by some erratic movements that almost sent her rolling out of the hammock. Concerned, Al stood up and walked over to her. She looked scared, and swatted sluggishly at something invisible above her. _Just a nightmare_, Al thought. He didn't want to wake her though, because she needed her rest in order to recharge. But he couldn't just leave her trapped in a bad dream…

Due to his inner dilemma and the sound-absorbing sand, Al failed to hear the footsteps approaching the cut-stone house. He didn't even see the person ducking under the door flap. That is, until he noticed the steel gun barrel pressed against the back of his head, and heard that person cock the gun. A hard, commanding voice filled the small room.

"And just who the hell are you?"

* * *

Orange: Ooh, a cliffie! LE GASPEH! What will happen next? Who is that mysterious person? Is Ed ever going to regain consciousness? Will I actually get up off my lazy ass to write the next chapter? I dunno, but maybe if you REVIEW you'll help spark my imagination... And remember, every time you don't review, Winry smacks Ed with a wrench. So please, think of Ed's dignity. And the wrenches. Those poor, poor wrenches… 


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